“I Believe the Bible”-What does that mean?

Disclaimer: I’m not a pastor or trained Bible scholar. I’m simply someone who believes that thinking about the most important topics in our lives should be a priority. 

In high school, I was involved with our drama department. I performed in plays, musicals, and worked backstage. It was a great experience that helped me become comfortable with public speaking, which has been a blessing in my life. When rehearsing a play, you practice it with your script in hand until you become comfortable with your lines. I remember one time during a rehearsal, while I was still using my script, the director challenged me to put the script down and try the scene without it. I followed his direction and it was the best run-through I had to date.  

I was using the script as a crutch. Anytime I was unsure of what was next, regardless of if it was my line or not, I looked at the script. Using the script prevented me from getting into the scene and into the character. When I put the script down, I was able to get into the character and allow the character to get into me. It allowed me to be fully present in the scene and respond to the other actors. 

Crutches are a necessary part of the healing process, however, to fully reach our potential, we need to move past them. My director could see that I was using the script as a crutch and it was preventing me from getting fully into the scene. 

I wonder if sometimes we use the Bible like I was using that script, as a crutch. If we were to put on a production simply with the information that was in the script, it wouldn’t be very entertaining for the audience. A full production relies on the actors, directors, and crew to bring the script to life. I can believe in the script, but I also have to rely on the director, cast, and crew. The script is not the play and the Bible is not God. 

When I hear, “I believe in the Bible” I question what that means. The Bible is beautiful, inspiring, and convicting. But it’s also nebulous, open to interpretation, and can be undefined. There are countless translations of the Bible, which is great, but it also means we haven’t perfected it yet. 

The beautiful thing about Christianity is that our God is alive. We can have a relationship with Jesus and the creator of the universe. That is an incredible reality. Abraham Lincoln is one of the most well-regarded leaders in modern history and we have a ton of first-hand letters and speeches that he wrote. We can know a great deal about Abraham Lincoln, but we’ll never know Abraham Lincoln. We can have a personal relationship with Jesus and have his autobiography. If the hope of Christianity is to have a relationship with God, then shouldn’t we rely on that relationship at least as much as the autobiography? 

I love the Bible and I try to read it every day. I believe it’s the best book ever written. I also try to have a relationship with a God who is alive and bigger than my comprehension. God can work in ways that are far beyond my understanding. I believe in the script, but I also believe in the director, cast, and crew.